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Joseph M. Wunderle, Robert B. Waide, Distribution of Overwintering Nearctic Migrants in the Bahamas and Greater Antilles, The Condor: Ornithological Applications, Volume 95, Issue 4, 1 November 1993, Pages 904–933, https://doi.org/10.2307/1369428
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Abstract
Point counts and mist nets were used to survey the distribution of nearctic migrant landbirds wintering in 15 habitat types on the islands of Andros, New Providence, and Great Inagua in the Bahamas, and in western Cuba, Jamaica, Dominican Republic, Puerto Rico, and St. John in the Greater Antilles. Of 150 species detected, 23% were overwintering nearctic migrants. Migrants were found at 1-71% of the points in natural or disturbed habitat (mean = 25%). Distance from North America and island size contributed only 9% of the variation in total migrant abundance among all habitats, reflecting the fact that habitats on the same island often differed substantially in suitability. However, distance and island size contributed 48% of the variation in total migrant abundance in xeric habitats, indicating that these factors may be important in contributing to migrant abundance within a habitat. Generally, geographically-restricted species were not abundant while most geographically-widespread species were abundant in a wide range of habitats.
No consistent relationships were found between the abundance and distribution of migrants and residents, but the two groups did not differ in their degree of habitat specialization. Habitat specialization by migrants was rare, with one species restricted primarily to mangroves and another to pine. As found in Yucatan, migrant species that breed in mature temperate-zone forest occurred in both mature forest and second-growth habitats in the winter. However, migrants that breed in early second-growth or edge habitats mostly avoided closed-canopy forests in the Caribbean.
